October_1965 — Page 6

agriculture and manufacturing. Its rapid expansion is the result of "a steady_growth of industry and the pres- sures of a rapidly growing modern economy”.

NEW HOSPITAL PLANNED

PLANS for a children's orthopaedic hospital on a site of 50,000 sq. ft. at Sandy Bay, Kowloon, have been approv- ed by the Hong Kong Government.

Mr. P.K. Chan, AA Dip, ARIBA, has designed a series of low slab blocks to cost a total of about HK$2 million. There will be accommodation for about 100 beds, a modern operation theatre, out-patient department. administrative offices, quarters for doctors and nurses and recreational, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy facilities.

The project is being financed by the US Govern- ment through the World Rehabilitation Fund, Inc., and

Perspective of the Sandy Bay hospital

Dr. & Mervan” Cuartars

the site has been provided free by the Hong Kong Government.

Work is expected to be started next month and to be completed during 1966.

M$3 M. HOUSING ESTATE

TENDERS have been called by the Singapore Housing and Development Board for the first stage of a M$31⁄2 million housing estate in Upper Changi. The estate will accom- modate about 5,000 people affected by the East Coast reclamation scheme.

Occupying an area of 12 acres, the estate will have 832 dwellings, a market, shopping centre, community centre and a primary school.

The first stage, for which earthwork is now in pro- gress, will comprise four blocks of three-storey one-room emergency flats, two blocks of three-storey flats, one block of five-storey flats with shops on the ground floor, three blocks of five-storey flats and one block of 12-storey flats.

EARTHMOVING CONTRACT PROGRESS

STAGE of the HK$16 million earthmoving contract at Ap Lei Chau island, near Aberdeen, Hong Kong, won by the London firm, George Wimpey and Co., Ltd., has now been in progress for three months and is due to be completed by the end of January 1966. A 150 ft. high hill is being removed from the north west corner of the island to provide 14 acres of land for the construction of a new power station with an initial capacity of 240 MW.

Completion of the first stage of the earthwork will enable work to start on the initital stage of the power station for the Hong Kong Electric Co., Ltd. This will house two 60 MW sets, the first of which will be commissioned in April 1968 and the second one year later.

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The remainder of the earthwork is due to be finished

by the end of 1967. Most of the rock removed will be placed in the sea in an adjacent bay to reclaim about 20 acres of land for industrial developmnet. Some of the rock will be used in the construction of two breakwaters at the entrance to Aberdeen harbour. The contract also includes an 850 ft. wharf for self-propelled 1,500 ton fuel oil barges and for the discharge of materials.

To accomplish the enormous task of moving 14 million cu. yd, of rock to make a level plateau 12 ft. above high water, Wimpey are deploying about HK$4 million worth of plant. This includes a HK$1,500,000 excavator of 6 cu, yd. capacity similar to those used on opencast coalmining operations.

PLANS APPROVED

Forty-N.Ne plans for new buildings of all types in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories were approved by the Building Authority in August as compared with 39 in the previous month and 68 in the corresponding month in 1964.

During the same month, 81 completed buildings were certified for occupation. Of these, 14 were buildings for domestic purposes, 27 for non-domestic purposes and 40 for combined domestic and non-domestic use. In addition, the Building Authority approved the demolition of 92 buildings.

Cost of new building work in the Colony during the month of August was $46,506,231. Another $2,095,387 was spent on site formation work.

THAI HYDRO-ELECTRIC DAM

THAILAND'S National Energy Council has drawn up pro- posals for the construction of a dam on the Lam Dom Noi River for hydro-electric power generation to supply Ubol, Srisaket and Surin in the east of the country.

A site suggested is Pibul Mansaharan district. Ubon. Generators of 15,000 KM would be installed and the scheme might later be linked with the Nam Pong and Nam Pung projects in the north east to provide electricity to all the provinces bordering Laos and Cambodia.

A detailed study is to be made by the Economic Development Board and a survey of the area is to be carried out during the next year.

SABAH CHEAP HOMES

MALAYSIAN Minister of Local Government and Housing, Mr. Khaw Kai Boh, announced recently that the Central Government had approved plans for a M$11⁄2 million low-cost housing scheme at Sandakan in Sabah. Mr. Kham visited the State last month.

Work on the project, comprising 300 units, is ex- pected to begin at the end of the year. Mr. Khaw said that the Government will consider future low-cost hous- ing projects in Jesselton and other urban areas.

Concrete moulded sun baffles will be a feature of the seven. storey Remedios Apartment-Hotel in Malate, Manila. The centrally air-conditioned building, now under construction, is designed by C.C. Castro and Associates, Manila. Weldon Construction Corporation are the contractors.

Far East Architect & Builder October, 1965